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Martin,
That is an insane price. I know Eternia's MIB sell for around $2K or $2.5K for one MIB never opened. The AFA 85 has to be one of only a handful since it is pricey to AFA something that large and heavy, but $11K is way too high. I don't collect playsets, but since that was the last large Playset in the line and the grandest I would guess for a collector who if he ever wanted to sell and recoup would look for around $4K.

that price seems insane , but if you had one of the few highly graded ones you know you could ask whatever you wanted , there cant be too many sealed high graded sets left . but i feel bad for the person who spends 10 k on a plastic box with a cardboard box inside of it . for all we know it could be full of bubble wrap and mcdonalds toys , does AFA x-ray this stuff , or is it an afa 85 eternia box that you are paying for ,the whole sealed in the box thing always confused me , i would like to have the box for the art and the set for display .the same way i feel about the person who pays 25k for a sealed mario nes game????????????? its a box you cant even play the game you just bought ??????
but i have noticed that since the motuc line in 2008 the going price for a loose complete eternia has been cut in 1/2 . it used to be that a complete loose and i mean complete 100 % would sell for $1200 now ive seen them sell for $400

that price seems insane , but if you had one of the few highly graded ones you know you could ask whatever you wanted , there cant be too many sealed high graded sets left . but i feel bad for the person who spends 10 k on a plastic box with a cardboard box inside of it . for all we know it could be full of bubble wrap and mcdonalds toys , does AFA x-ray this stuff , or is it an afa 85 eternia box that you are paying for ,the whole sealed in the box thing always confused me , i would like to have the box for the art and the set for display .the same way i feel about the person who pays 25k for a sealed mario nes game????????????? its a box you cant even play the game you just bought ??????
but i have noticed that since the motuc line in 2008 the going price for a loose complete eternia has been cut in 1/2 . it used to be that a complete loose and i mean complete 100 % would sell for $1200 now ive seen them sell for $400

really? I want to start rebuilding mine, replace the pieces that are missing or broken get some repro tracks etc. mostly missing tracks and small pieces.

I think that MOTUC has almost cut the going prices for vintage items in half. i did most of my collecting of the vintage line about 5 to 6 years ago and could get almost 2 collections now for what i spent back then . i just think collectors are focused on bidding on MOTUC. but when that line gets completed i think vintage stuff will rebound and be more expensive than ever ? anyone agree ? i have even read here that some advanced collectors are just selling off vintage stuff to make room for classics ,

Those collectors that are selling off there Vintage toy collections to replace them for MOTUC are stupid... I mean that once the new toyline sells its final figures the vintage toyline will move forward once again... These new toylines are not really that collectable because everyone and anyone can buy them , the old vintage toys are getting super hard to find in most cases if you want them in C8++ condition or higher...

Those collectors that are selling off there Vintage toy collections to replace them for MOTUC are stupid... I mean that once the new toyline sells its final figures the vintage toyline will move forward once again... These new toylines are not really that collectable because everyone and anyone can buy them , the old vintage toys are getting super hard to find in most cases if you want them in C8++ condition or higher...

I agree thats why i have hoarded an extra set of vintage items , this line is low now but when motuc is over and a movie is released the vintage stuff will go up higher than ever , this happened with tmnt when the CG tmnt movie came out , and now the new tmnt movie in the works. should spike the value of those again
so if you want anything vintage buy it now .

Tough part for a set like this even if the movie drives prices it won't be worth $11K just way way too high. You could buy AFA 85 8 Backs for the original 8 for almost that price and people would rather have that than this set. AFA prices have dropped off a lot from 2008-2009 and are around worth 2/3 to 1/2 in value. I have sold a ton of stuff and prices dropped with the economy. I have tons of stuff that can take up to 4-6 months to sell, but if prices spike would be welcomed here

$2'000 or $12'000 its still the same thing. Its an old box, full of 30 year old colored plastic. If you want one, find one for a couple hundred bucks, or go ahead and make some ridiculous person with an inflated sense of value happy and give them a small fortune for their junk.

Just think how many Eternia's have wound up in a landfill, or are given to some kid by a grandmother after she cleans out her basement, and smashed to bits. Also, AFA, huge waste of money.

$2'000 or $12'000 its still the same thing. Its an old box, full of 30 year old colored plastic. If you want one, find one for a couple hundred bucks, or go ahead and make some ridiculous person with an inflated sense of value happy and give them a small fortune for their junk.

Just think how many Eternia's have wound up in a landfill, or are given to some kid by a grandmother after she cleans out her basement, and smashed to bits. Also, AFA, huge waste of money.

I AGREE even if you wanted to take it out of the sealed afa case you risk damaging the item , i know collectors that have got a low grade opened the item sent it for another grade and got a higher grade on the same item ????? so its a waste of money and a passing fad .i do like the acrylic cases that they sell but $20 a piece is crazy how many items come in plastic containers that we throw away as packaging , and the item dosnt even cost $20 itself. just like i said about zolo cases its almost the same thing you get food in like potato salad or a salad. i once got a lot of gi joes that arrived in small wedge shaped cases for pie but fit the figures fine. im sure the pie cases cost .5cents or less retail ? and afa and zolo and mattel want too much . they should be sold in boxes of 100 for $100 plus shipping or $1 each at the most . have you ever watched a vacuform or a prodiction video of say plastic bottles ? they can make stuff like this almost faster than you can see them move .and cheap too

Labeling anything a "huge waste of money" is entirely subjective. Would I AFA everything I own? Of course not. But the few AFA items I have look amazing and I am very proud of them, as they represent a great find, a rare piece, a good bargain, or all of the above. The point of MOC collecting, to me anyway, is to most truly represent that feeling, that moment from childhood when you first walked into a toystore and saw MOTU in the shelves. For this effect to truly take hold (again, speaking only for me personally) you need both the toy and the package in as good a shape as possible. AFA provides that - sort of turns the item into a time capsule.

I am not overly concerned with how much it affects the "worth" of the toy. I just love how it preserves a memory I hold dear from childhood. Of course the grading is someone's opinion - that should not be a surprise. And nice going to anyone who resends for a better grade. Getting an item back in a good grade, especially when you figured it would, is a nice feeling.

I also like Zolo cases for this reason. They are costed appropriately for the good idea and their high quality. They will never be as cheap as plastic soda bottles because of quantity. Coke can make a billion bottles, which makes them cheap, while Zolo is not making a billion cases.

So while AFA and Zolo might not be for everyone, I'm not sure what point is made to post on this thread and trash both products as well, by association, those who enjoy them.

Labeling anything a "huge waste of money" is entirely subjective. Would I AFA everything I own? Of course not. But the few AFA items I have look amazing and I am very proud of them, as they represent a great find, a rare piece, a good bargain, or all of the above. The point of MOC collecting, to me anyway, is to most truly represent that feeling, that moment from childhood when you first walked into a toystore and saw MOTU in the shelves. For this effect to truly take hold (again, speaking only for me personally) you need both the toy and the package in as good a shape as possible. AFA provides that - sort of turns the item into a time capsule.

I am not overly concerned with how much it affects the "worth" of the toy. I just love how it preserves a memory I hold dear from childhood. Of course the grading is someone's opinion - that should not be a surprise. And nice going to anyone who resends for a better grade. Getting an item back in a good grade, especially when you figured it would, is a nice feeling.

I also like Zolo cases for this reason. They are costed appropriately for the good idea and their high quality. They will never be as cheap as plastic soda bottles because of quantity. Coke can make a billion bottles, which makes them cheap, while Zolo is not making a billion cases.

So while AFA and Zolo might not be for everyone, I'm not sure what point is made to post on this thread and trash both products as well, by association, those who enjoy them.

I once asked a guy who was selling something on Ebay why the price was so ridiculously high and he responded that the item held sentimental value to him and his wife was making him sell it, he didn't really want to get rid of it, but if he could sell it for that much, then he supposed it was worth getting rid of. Kind of made sense to me, but I'll agree, a lot of people ask way too much.

People who sell normally need to learn what they can get for an item and not what just they think it is worth.....AFA figures in particular as of late can go for discounts on lesser figures (I upgraded to a AFA 85 Tung Lashor for $210)

I don't even know what this means. You 'upgraded' your Tung Lashor? Does that mean you paid more money to have someone tell you that your toy is worth more? Or you replaced your existing toy, with a new toy in a plastic case with an AFA grade sticker on it for $210?

I just want to know, because I really don't understand it. So now that you have your AFA 85 toy, instead of your previous one, what does that mean? You now have less scratches are the card? You have an extra plastic potato salad package on it? The sticker has a bigger number. What exactly is the benefit of the upgrade?

I spent about $200 on my entire vintage collection, and they look great.

Originally Posted by SunDevil

So while AFA and Zolo might not be for everyone, I'm not sure what point is made to post on this thread and trash both products as well, by association, those who enjoy them.

I am not trashing people, but sometimes their choices boggle me, and lately, just make me chuckle to myself. I met a 'professional' toy grader once. It amazed me how he actually managed to create a business telling other people what their toys are worth. He did not have a diploma or degree. There is no education required to be a toy grader, nor a test one as to take to assess one's skill and accuracy. It is not standardized and regulated. Its just the ability to sell the idea to someone after you've shown them your basement full of old Wizard magazines. You are literally a snake oil salesman, peddling plastic. That is why a toy from ebay A can be $30 and ebay seller B can be $3'489.

Perhaps I've outgrown 'toys' and their perceived value. If I want to keep my memories of my childhood pristine and lasting, I'll do so by keeping my collection out of direct sunlight, and not placing my figures under a magnifying glass in the backyard. I'll talk about the characters with friends, or pop on the cartoon. I don't need a plastic potato salad casing to keep my memories.

Originally Posted by ninjor 9

i know collectors that have got a low grade, opened the item sent it for another grade and got a higher grade on the same item ????? so its a waste of money and a passing fad

If this is not proof of the farce of AFA grading, I don't know what is. Oh wait, let's get an opinion from a toy expert."Oh well, you see, that can be explained quite logistically. 3 weeks ago, the value of your 1980s AFA 85 vintage Tri-Klops figure was represented by his production number of 1'354'000 and his retail price, amortized over the past 30 years, bringing his value to $350. However, due to a recent spike of the character's popularity on Twitter, the AFA blog, and my own DND circles, factoring in the opinion of toy grading master Harry Peter Smith, we have reassessed his value at $452. Thank you for your business."

I upgraded my previous Tung Lashor that was an AFA 80 version and was able to sell that one for $280 so I was able to get a better graded card and still was able to make some money. I do not believe for one second that you have an entire MOC collection for $200 vintage, nor a loose collection complete for $200. NOt trying to create an issue here, but if you are also just blasting people for what we enjoy (the AFA items) why comment at all?

Guys as you all might know by now i am also a bigtime AFA graded collector and i love every item i have... It helps store or display your items with ease and i have no worries about any of my carded or boxed items ever getting damaged even if i move to a new home and so on... Dont get me wrong i also are sometimes alittle worried about the grading scale as i have items in my collection which are all AFA 85 or higher but sometimes i wonder if some of my AFA 90s are any better if you know what i mean!!! PS If i had the spare cash i would snap up that AFA 85 MISB Eternia playset for sure as its a true gem...

I am not trashing people, but sometimes their choices boggle me, and lately, just make me chuckle to myself.

Laughing at people's choices seems a lot like trashing them. To me.

Hey man, it's all good. NO hard feelings here so please don't think I'm trying to 'get back at you' or trash you or anything. You are 100% correct (like I already said) that toy grading is entirely subjective. But the AFA people do their very best to compare your item to their list of standards as well as other similiar items in various conditions. I like their work and will continue to purchase AFA items. You don't care for their work and will not. Again, no problem here. When you say you "don't get it" - well, what is there to get? Some people like to display their toys this way, others don't . I don't understand why people like NA but some do and I fully support their right to enjoy MOTU however they like, NA or whatever.

I think it is terrific you can look at your loose collection in whatever way you choose and get that nostalgic feel. And you can enjoy the cartoon, terrific! The cartoon no longer works for me and loose figures are okay but it is the figure/package combo that really takes me back to Toys R Us in St. Louis in 1981.

Not all my MOC or MIB figures are AFA worthy. Some have yellow bubbles or rough cards. That's enough for me! But when I get a chance to add a top-quality Man-At-Arms 8-back, for example, I do it because that is exactly like the figures I first saw on the pegs. I got a good deal on a Ninjor and he arrived in even better shape than I though so I AFAed it because I love how those items look displayed like that and I was curious to see how 'well' I'd done. Turns out it was AFA85 and, yes, that is just some AFA toy grader's opinion but they have the experience of grading thousands of toys so I trust that ranking. As for it's "value" I'm not concerned with that. I'm not in this as a business. I just want a nice collection.

Even though AFA graders don't have an art curator's degree or a masters in antiquties or whatever they did have the initiative to start this business and I believe they do very good work. Their communication is prompt and courteous, their cases are top-quality, their packing is incredible and I felt entirely safe sending them 6 MOC MOTU that I had been wanting for years because I knew they would treat them like their own collectibles. They all returned safe and sound with good grades and now I have two different ways to display my MOC collection - AFAed in a display case or Zoloed on a wall.

Speaking of Zolo, while I understand the difference of opinion about AFA, the Zolo hate actually boggles MY mind, to use your phrase! I would never pin a 30-year old MOC MOTU figure to my wall now so putting them in the Zolo case makes perfect sense. Protects the package from further wear AND lets me hang them on a wall - which also helps that "hanging in a toy store in the 1980s" nostalgia feel for me.

So anyway, we can disagree but we can do it politely. Now back to AGE's search for a MIB Eternia!